Sugar in my System
by Ripper-Roo
Summary: A war, seven people, and friendships that should not have occured. In this time of strife, can they find something to bring about happiness? KanzasxDamia
1. Prolouge

Hey, all!

So, mah first Legend of Dragoon fanfiction, yo. :3 andit'saromanceomgwhut Not to mention the first of this pairing, I think. Yeah, Kanzas and Damia. xD Weird pairing, yes, but that's really all you can expect from me (ask those who know my writing).

So, I'm guessing you want to know what spawned this little thing, yes? Well, I was replaying Legend of Dragoon (finally got my second disc to obey me and not freeze after I beat Lenus for the second time. Obey me, I say! xD), and I was like, on the fourth disc of disc-ness, yo. Going back to all the little places and gathering my Stardust like a good little videogamer-idiot thing so that I can try to verse Faust and all that jazz, and of course, doing the wonderfulness of the Fallen Dragoon Quest. AND THE STORY GETS BETTER! After I battled Kanzas (gawsh, he was a pain in the rear to verse. ;.; He killed Albert, like, a mamillion times in a row. D: ), I went and versed Damia. Now, Damia and Kanzas have to be two of my favorite "original" dragoons (though I love them all gewd), due to the fact that they are both so interesting in terms of background and personality (which is why I want SCEI to make a sort of prequel where you can play as the original dragoons). And then my little pea-brain was all "omg, fanfiction-time, y0?" Now, even though Kanzas hates, like, EVERYBODY, I kinda thought of what would happen IF he fell in loooove. :0 'Sides, we never really get to see him interact with any of the others anyway ('cept for Rosie, but whatever), so I'm not technically defying the laws of physics. Dx So I obeyed the pea-brain, and now I'm here. :D

Sooooo, this author note thing is probably pushing your buttons, so I'll get on with the show. ;.; I don't own Legend of Dragoon. That is the brain-child of SCEI. I wish I owned Lavitz, though. xD (okay, no more Lavitz fangirling for me. D: ) I own the story, though, just because I'm cool like that. And I own myself. … I hope. D: I don't think I'm copyrighted material… xD So yeah, I'm not making any money off of this, nor am I trying to steal Legend of Dragoon. So stop watching my house, lawyers. I'm not THAT interesting. xD

Warnings? But of course! It contains a spoiler that is, like, mega-big in terms of plot-ness. D: Like, I mean HUGE spoiler for those who have not made it to the fourth disc. You've been warned. D:

Now, let's kick this thing into high gear, boys and girls:0 Full-throttle, baby! (/retard)

**-Sugar in my System-**

**-Prolouge-**

(Damia's Point of View)

_Everyone has their anxious moments, and I suppose us Dragoons are no exception._

_Myself? I'm probably the one who would appear to have this emotion drilling itself into me until I have a one large hole in my body that nothing could heal. But… sometimes I get the feeling that I'm not, you know? Sometimes, I think that Rose would be the one to be stressed out the most… considering that she and Zieg are supposed to get married after this war is over. And other times, I think that the feeling is mutual, that it has spread to all of us._

_I've grown to understand my comrades during my time here at Vellweb, as they've grown to understand me. They say I'm like a mind reader- that I know when people are feeling down in the dumps, you know?_

_The only one who I don't understand is Kanzas… He hasn't been talking to any of us lately (not that he has ever been really social), and we, or at least I, never really learned why he joined the Dragon Campaign. I asked Shirley, since Kanzas respects her more than any of us, and she told me, "Though he is bloodthirsty and seems a bit heartless at times, he is strong and good with strategies. After the Violet Dragoon Spirit chose him, Diaz and I watched him for a while. Eventually, Diaz recruited him." I asked him some months ago, and all he said was that he didn't have anything left to lose._

_Maybe none of us do anymore…_

x

Bearing these thoughts in mind, Damia walked out of her tower, heading to Kanzas'. The sun was beginning to set in the west, leaving an orange, pink and yellow sky in its wake. Shadows of Vellweb played and danced on all objects within their reach, including Damia. She was wearing some of the human clothing she had received from her father before he died: a clean, light blue robe made of thin, cotton-like material with sleeves that went half way down her upper arms and and small, dark gray shoes made of leather. Her green hair was tied back in a bun with a white ribbon, pointed ears covered in sky blue scales jutting out from the soft locks of hair. The shadows of the surrounding buildings made her hair appear to be more of a forest green, rather than its normal sea green, and the blue scales appeared darker, and refused to reflect the sun light like they normally did.

She held her hands behind her back, looking almost childish, but with an expression that was unexplainable. Serious, sad, absent-minded, intrigued- all of these expressions, and then some, were showcased on her slightly-tanned face. Her heart was beating fast; Kanzas scared her, but… something about him, something practically dangerous and safe at the same time, made her feel okay. She felt that something was wrong with him- something had to have made him the violent, impatient, anti-social person he was today, and that she could help him, somehow.

x

'_Kanzas' tower…'_

Something about it was intimidating to Damia. Maybe it was just because Kanzas himself was so intimidating, and… somehow it affected the things around him, as silly as it sounded.

Damia started up the few flights of stairs, humming a tune to herself. She looked at the sky, noticing that it had gotten darker quite quickly, not to mention much colder. She continued to walk, though at a little bit of a quicker pace.

Once at the top of the stairs, Damia hesitated. Kanzas never liked her, just like all the other Dragoons. Whenever he talked to her, he sounded angry, and he always looked that way, too. Ignoring her fears of the Violet Dragoon, she knocked on the door, receiving a gruff and annoyed "come in" from the other side of it.

Slowly and cautiously, she opened the wooden door, and was greeted with the sight of all of Kanzas' dolls- dolls of the people he had killed. They seemed to glare at her from their places on the shelves, and looked positively demonic with the light coming from the fireplace in the back of the room. She looked around the dark room nervously. Damia always hated the sight of these dolls. In fact, they made everybody sick, save for Kanzas himself.

"They're _just dolls._ They're dead. They won't- _can't-_ hurt you, or anyone else." Damia turned her head to Kanzas, who was sitting in the back of his room, staring out his window, looking as morbid as ever. She walked over to her comrade, and was "welcomed" with a glare coming from his threatening brown eyes.

"Is there some reason you're here?" he asked, annoyed. Damia noticed he had become slightly more tolerable of her. When she had first arrived, Kanzas taunted her because of her heritage and called her weak. Now, he just barely said anything.

"Not really…" She said nervously, sitting by Kanzas, and looked out the window. "What are you looking at?"

"See that floating fort over the Snow Fields and near Kashua Glacier?" He asked glumly, pointing out the large building in the sky with one of his bony, tanned fingers. "It's the Tower of Flanvel. It's one of those damned Winglies' most dangerous fortresses, controlled by Melbu Frahma's right-hand man, Faust. Ugh… I can't stand the sight of it…"

His last statement confused Damia. She recognized the name of the fort, and Faust as well. Emperor Diaz had brought up both matters in several meetings.

"If you hate it so much, why are you looking at it?" she said, almost afraid of what Kanzas' response would be. To her surprise (and relief), he remained calm, though the annoyed tone of his voice remained.

Kanzas sighed, wondering why she asked so many questions. "Once the Winglies let their guard down, we're going to shoot that thing down. I'm watching for that opportunity. That, and _I_ am going to be the one to bring Flanvel to the ground with the final blow." He smirked slightly at the tower. It had several Virages surrounding it, along with a magical field. Flanvel itself had a swirl shape, like that of a shell, which could've only been made with magic. Human tools would never be able to create such a structure. Damia wondered why Winglies chose to place most of their forts in such cold places.

Kanzas was over-confident, as usual. Despite the fact that he had calmed down a lot since he arrived at Vellweb, he was still cocky, impatient, and wanted to prove he was better than the others.

An awkward silence hung in the air, save for the sound of the wind passing by. The sky soon grew pitch-black, and stars hung in the sky like little lanterns on black houses. Through that time, Kanzas did not once tell Damia to go away, which would've been typical of him anyway, if he had. In fact, he found himself enjoying the rare company, though he wouldn't bring himself to admit it. He kept on staring out the window, as if in a trance.

Damia had curled herself up into a slight ball, holding her knees to her chest. Though the days at Vellweb were quite warm, the nights were practically freezing. She was tired, but she was comfortable and wanted to stay.

Suddenly, the silence was broken.

"So, you still don't know why you came to see me?" asked Kanzas. He no longer sounded annoyed. His voice was more along the lines of curious. His dull, gloomy eyes, even though he was speaking, never left the Tower of Flanvel. "I'm surprised you worked up the courage." A slight shadow of a smile formed on his face, and then disappeared as quickly as it came.

"Well…" Damia turned herself to face her comrade, still hugging her legs. "The way I see it, you could use a little company once in a while. You always seem so alone."

"You could say I like it that way," was Kanzas' reply.

"Well, even if that's the truth, everyone could use a friend once in a while." She grinned at him, receiving that short-lived smile again. "Even you. When I first arrived here at Vellweb, we started out on really bad terms, and you really scared me. But, as I got to know a little bit more about you, I figured that you and I are sorta in the same boat."

"In the same boat…?" Kanzas faced her now, deciding to hear her out. Even though he was never particularly fond of the young Dragoon, and even hated her when she first arrived, she had knowledge beyond her years and was probably the first person who acted truly kind towards him.

"What I mean is, I feel we're similar in a way. Ya see, we're both kind of alone, and might've joined this war with the same reason- we both had nothing left to lose."

He wouldn't tell her this, but she hit the bull's-eye… and it stung. He turned away; he didn't want to face that kind of feeling. Kanzas hated emotions anyway.

Damia took this as a sign of some sort of rejection, and it worried her. "I'm sorry, Kanzas, did I say something wrong…?" She leaned closer to him, trying to read his emotions (though it was pretty much impossible).

"Don't worry about it."

"Eh… I guess I was correct…" said Damia, feeling slightly guilty.

'_Damia, why do you have to be right all the time…?'_

"I thought I told you not to worry about it." Kanzas said with a slight glare.

"I'm sorry, Kanzas," she said, looking at him with a small smile. Yawning, she got up. "Well, I should probably get going and get some sleep. We have a meeting at Fort Magrad tomorrow."

Sighing, Kanzas got up as well, looking a bit peeved. "I'll walk you to your tower," he said a bit harshly (though the voice was Kanzas', that line made him sound quite out of character). Damia looked shocked, and taken back by this. "… It's dark, and we don't need one of our Dragoons getting in a fight with a Wingly this late at night."

Again, though he wouldn't let himself know it… he had enjoyed her company, and maybe even wanted her to stay a bit longer. This was the first time he had ever felt like he had a sort of friend.

"Suit yourself, Kanzas!" she said happily, putting her hands behind her head in a laidback manner, twisting the sea green locks of hair that had fallen out of her bun around her slender fingers.

They headed out of the tower, not saying anything to each other. Kanzas being angry at himself for doing this, and Damia wondering what had made him change so much. Even just a week ago, Kanzas would've never have done this, and even now it was sort of unthinkable, no matter how real it was.

x

(Shirley's Point of View)

_Despite the major changes that Kanzas has made (for whatever reason he may have), I would've never imagined such a violent, anti-social, short-tempered person as Kanzas walking a bubbly, sweet, kind person as Damia to her tower, let alone be near her without being angry._

_As I watched the two from my window, something dawned on me. Call me crazy, but something inside of me told me that Damia was the reason Kanzas had calmed down so much. He was a completely different person, and I realized it had all started 3 months after Damia was recruited and started living in Vellweb. After those 3 months, Kanzas started to become more tolerable of not only Damia, but all the other Dragoons as well. He was able to keep cool in battle, and he did not get angry when someone made a mistake. He had stated spending a bit more time around the Blue Sea Dragoon, which led me to wonder many things, such as what was going on in his head._

_I didn't tell the others my... theory for a little while, but rather observed the two when they interacted. A few times, I saw Kanzas give a weak, maybe almost sad, smile while Damia was around. He only smiled while no one was looking, though. It was typical of him, putting on that tough-guy mask._

_Little did I know, Damia had not only changed him, but maybe proved to him that he was not alone in this war._

**-End of Prolouge-**

Bring out the retarded-ness! D:

Mmyup, this chappie was like stupidity to the maximum. Andreallyrushed,too.xD Maybe it's because I'm getting over a severe case of writers' block… / Who knows- this might just get better:D

I'll keep on updating this, though, just because I can.

Sooooo, like it? Love it? Don't have an opinion? Hate it? Wish I had never been introduced to Fanfiction dot net? xD GIMME J00R OPINIONS KTHXBAI. (no flames, though. Flames me no likie. D: )

-Written almost entirely while listening to "You Spin Me Right Round".

(You spin me right round, baby right round. Like a record, baby, rightround round round. xD)

-Ripper-Roo


	2. Drain

Notes: The dialogue in the slashes is Kanzas' conscience talking to him, I suppose. oo; I think that was influenced by Stephen King's Misery, where Paul's conscience kind of talked to him. D: I'm not sure if Belzac is really half-Giganto, but his appearance leads me to believe so. Deal with it. xD I don't own LoD, nor do I own the lyrics at the end. The lyrics are snippits from X-Japan's song, "Drain." That song is love.

**-Sugar in my System-**

**-Drain-**

Kanzas had been an early riser for some time, though he rarely slept at all lately and was waking up later and later. His mind was always foggy when he woke up, thoughts from his sleep going down the drain, and his eyesight not completely focused. He sat up in his bed, bloodstained sheets draped over his legs and lower body. Dolls surrounding him, staring… crying, screaming out in pain and agony… some in anger and rage. His room made him think of Mayfil, Wingly City of the Dead… the gate of the inferno from which you can never return.

'_I'm becoming more and more like Syuveil… Ugh.'_

Remembering the meeting at Fort Magrad that day, Kanzas got ready quickly, as he always did. He tossed on the long, black hooded cloak that he wore everyday, though he never put the hood over his messy, spiky red hair. He slipped on his steel, spiked knuckles on his left hand and put on the small chain that his Dragoon Spirit was fastened to.

Getting ready to leave his tower, he caught a glimpse of himself in a window. Dark, prominent circles had formed under his brown eyes, and he looked thinner than usual.

_/ The result of anxiety and restlessness, my good friend Kanzas. What are you so worried about/_

"I'm not worried," he said to himself absently.

_/ That's a lie, and you know it. / _

He closed his eyes and chuckled a bit. He hated his laugh- that evil, demonic laugh. It reminded him of the Winglies as they tortured the humans in the slave camps that showed no mercy to the weak.

"Screw it all," he said to himself, the words coming out in a sort of mumble.

Kanzas opened the tower door, only to be greeted by the pouring rain and the violent sound of the thunder. The Dragoon stepped out into the dismal weather, closing the door behind him. His eyelids fell slowly and he tilted his head backwards, allowing the storm to consume him, if only for a brief moment. Knowing that no one was around, he allowed himself to relax for a minute, and then he made his way to Diaz's castle as the lightning flashed in the nearly black clouds.

x

Breakfast in Vellweb was always simple, due to the fact that the Winglies controlled all trade routes to Furni, where various goods were brought from over seas. Diaz was feeding his people anything he could get (most of it being delivered from the citizens of Ulara). He was becoming more and more desperate as time went on and the final battle drew closer. Needless to say, everyone was getting desperate.

Kanzas, who had left Syuveil behind a while ago, approached the huge, wooden double-doors leading into Diaz's underground castle, staring at them for a moment. The wood had pictures of dragons on it- the humans' symbol of freedom hope. Dragons, they believed, would be their saviors, destroying the horrible Wingly slave camps. They had equal respect for the Dragoons, the Dragon Knights, as well. They, too, were a symbol of liberation. These pictures always made him wonder why he, of all the other possible candidates, was to play the role of one of the seven heroes in this fairy tale.

_/ If they found out that a person such as you were to save them, Kanzas, I'm sure they would be thoroughly shocked. /_

"I wouldn't doubt that for even a second," Kanzas replied to himself as he pushed open the doors, which led to the main hall- a long, slightly narrow passage lined with lit candles and carious doors. Kanzas watched as the candles' flames flickered and danced, the occasional spark wondering from its starting point, the fire, and vanishing, sometimes followed by another, not getting any further than its brother.

x

Upon arriving at the conference chamber, which also served as a dining hall, Kanzas discovered that he really was… off. Everybody was already there, save for Syuveil, who arrived shortly afterwards. As always, Kanzas took the time to examine his comrades.

His glance wandered to Shirley, who was sitting with the half-Giganto, Belzac. She was with him more and more these days, obviously falling victim to the hideous emotion called love- and Kanzas believed that would be her downfall, come the final battle. She cared too much. Shirley was never really a fighter.

Belzac was as cheery as ever. He did his best to uphold that optimistic attitude of his, but it wasn't too hard to figure him out. He was kindhearted, and cared for others (especially children) too much for his own good, in Kanzas' opinion.

The young scholar, Syuveil, was sitting at the end of the table, his pale face buried in a book, most likely about the subject of life and death. During their time in Vellweb, Kanzas and Syuveil had formed some sort of neutral relationship. Kanzas respected the scholar because of his intelligence, and liked the fact that he did not have a fear of death. In fact, he never let his emotions show, earning him more respect from the Violet Dragoon.

Syuveil found Kanzas interesting, to say the least. His beliefs were intriguing, and his rituals unique- they were not a part of any existing religion, leading him to believe that Kanzas had some sort of religion of his own. Syuveil also respected Kanzas' strength, though he did not like how killing played such a large part in his life.

Kanzas' attention turned to Rose. Kanzas, in time, had given her respect. She was incredibly strong in battle, and kept her cool under pressure. She and Shirley were great friends, despite their differences. Rose had helped Shirley learn a bit about fighting, though she still preferred to stay away from battles and help her allies with her White magic. Rose often fought alongside Kanzas, and the two made a good team. She also had something that Kanzas wanted, but could never have… purity.

She was sitting with Zieg, chatting quietly with him and smiling softly, dark blue eyes showing compassion and love. Kanzas hated this; Rose was a deadly warrior, but Zieg had changed her for the worse.

And then there was Damia, standing by a window away from the table. Sometimes, she was outgoing and cheerful, and others, incredibly shy and sad. Lightweight, gray robes fell down to her knees, thin pant-like stockings covering her pale, thin legs, and a light blue cape draped over her shoulder- she looked like a common teenager from Furni. She was leaning on her large stone hammer, which had various blue markings on the handle. Her blood red eyes were staring out the window, her thoughts probably wondering to her home- a small island village off the coast of the Prison Island. She often got homesick and missed her parents dearly, though she was content with living in Vellweb.

'_She's too young for this… Why did the Blue Sea Dragon choose such a weak, young girl?'_ thought Kanzas. She wasn't ready- mentally or physically- for any of this. She constantly tried to pretend that nothing was wrong with her. She wanted to prove to herself and the others that she was not a child, that she could hold her own and stand on her own two feet.

Eventually, Damia felt Kanzas' nerve-racking stare, a chill crept up her spine and disappeared. She turned to him, looking a bit scared. Kanzas had this unexplainable expression on his face, and it was a bit startling. Suddenly, fragments of the conversation they'd had the previous night played through her mind, and she felt almost guilty for being so scared of him. He couldn't be such a bad person… could he? She smiled at him, the blue scales around her eyes reflecting tiny bits of light.

'_Her eyes… are the very color of blood. Ironic, for someone who used to be so afraid of killing even a Wingly, and who couldn't stand the sight of blood.' _

He stared at her a bit longer, then turned swiftly and went to his seat at the table, Damia following. She sat by Rose, as she often did, and laid her hammer on the floor beside her chair. Kanzas sat next to Shirley, folding his arms on the table and resting his head on them, his dark eyes straying to the white table cloth. He ran his thin fingers over the various bumps and waves on it, smoothing them out.

After the slight silence lingering in the room died out, a few of Diaz's aids came into the room and served each of the Dragoons, then leaving without a word. Bread, meat, and some vegetable soup: that was basically what each meal consisted of. It was enough to keep the Dragoons healthy and able to fight, and that was all that Diaz needed. Everyone ate slowly, continuing to talk quietly.

x

After the meal, the group headed out into the frozen wasteland that was Gloriano. Despite the fact that it was early autumn, the central part of Gloriano, the vast part mostly covered by what everyone called the Snow Fields, stayed frozen all year round. Blizzards were constantly coming and going, which was horrible news for travelers and messengers. The only mercy given by the wasteland was the numerous caves, though many were covered by snow and were barely accessible. It was difficult (to say the least) not to get lost, and travelers often strayed from their path and met a frosty grave, never to be seen again.

The Dragoons walked cautiously, their footprints becoming engraved in the snow and vanishing eventually, never knowing when there would be a patch of ice under the thick, white powder. Syuveil was leading the way, due to his accurate sense of direction, everyone else following. Kanzas, decidedly, stayed toward the back of the group, tilting his head down to keep ice particles from stinging his already red face. His hair blew wildly in the wind, little snowflakes getting stuck in it. He had always hated Gloriano, in all its frozen glory.

Rose stopped walking, and turned her head to the top of a cliff. She could feel something was watching them, and she didn't think it was too friendly. She let her hand rest on the sheathed sword strapped to her leg.

Everyone else came to a halt, staring at Rose, and then trying to see what she was staring at.

"What's the matter, Rose?" Zieg said in his soft, but deep voice as he walked over to her slowly.

She continued to stare for a while, then turned and started walking again. "It's nothing. I thought I felt someone watching us."

And that feeling hung in the air, putting Rose on edge. An icy blue glare shifted from cliff to cliff, looking for anything suspicious, her footsteps growing slower and even more cautious. She remained silent, like a hunter, until she had found what she had felt. A light shadow passed over a snow-covered hill and disappeared, and the hum of Wingly wings came and passed.

"It's here," Rose stated dangerously, in a voice close to a whisper, drawing her sword from its sheath. "Show yourself!" she shouted towards the hill that the figure had gone behind. Seconds after that, five Winglies flew down, laughing maniacally. Their eyes were pure black, eyelids slightly lowered, and their expressions blank.

"Possessed…" muttered Syuveil in a low voice.

Kanzas laughed, rolling up the sleeve of his left arm to reveal metallic, spiky knuckles strapped to his hand. "A suicide mission. Frahma sure is getting desperate." In a bright flash of violet lightning, he was granted the power of Dragons. Kanzas hovered over the snow, the wind causing his wings to flutter quite gracefully. A sadistic expression was placed upon his face as the Winglies drew their weapons.

Following Kanzas, everyone else transformed in a blinding swirl of rainbow colors, colored, but nearly transparent wings slowly flapping as the light faded.

The Wingly troops were the first to make their move. Out of two Wingly hands came great energy beams, aimed at the Dragoons. The other three drew swords created by magical energy, and flew towards the group as they scattered in the air.

Rose flew right to the three who were generating the beams with her long, slim sword. They discontinued the energy beams and dodged the attack, but Syuveil joined Rose, gracefully swinging the large spear at two of them, slicing through their armor with ease and drawing small amounts of blood. The red liquid dripped off of the spear and onto the snow beneath Syuveil, and he swung again at one of them, cutting through his ribs. The end of the spear went right into the Wingly's lungs, and then into his neck. The Wingly gasped, coughing out blood, and then falling into the snow, creating a red pool under him.

Rose managed to get close enough to one to pierce his heart, but he erected a shield and stopped the attack from reaching his chest. He flew into the sky, Rose doing her best to keep up with him.

Meanwhile, Zieg, Belzac, and Kanzas were handling the other Winglies, dodging attacks and slashing through limbs. The black eyes glared at them as the three resorted to using magic, making it harder on the three warriors.

Shirley stayed out of harms way, shooting magically generated arrows at Winglies and healing her comrades. She hated fighting, but had no other choice but to fight.

Damia, being one of the quickest of the Dragoons, flew to a cliff covered in ice. These types of places were where her spells were most useful, and she intended to make good use of her surroundings, just like she was taught. She lifted the hammer high above her head, despite its weight, and swung it, smashing the ice. Large ice crystals started to fall, but were caught by the Blue Sea Dragoon's magic and started to circle around Damia, and she spun along with them. She had always referred to this as her Freezing Ring. She pointed one gloved finger at the three Winglies surrounded by Zieg, Belzac and Kanzas. The ice crystals followed her command, encircling the magical beings and then colliding, trapping them in ice. She snapped her fingers, and the ice exploded, leaving two Winglies dead and one badly wounded, which was assumed to be the leader of the group.

He looked around quickly. All four of his comrades were dead. "Retreat," he muttered to himself as his wings appeared, and he made an attempt to get away.

"Not so fast…"

Kanzas flew up behind him and wrapped his left arm around his neck, spiked knuckles slightly pressed against pale flesh. Kanzas let out one last, evil laugh, and then sliced through the flesh, cutting through various veins. Blood ran over Kanzas' hand, and he smiled at this. He removed his arm, and the dead body fell to the ground, dying the snow crimson.

_/ Talk to me, troubled brain  
And if you feel my pain-  
Somuchhurtingthat'slivinginmyhead /_

"_Gratification…"_

_/ You made a fool out of me  
There is no way out  
I'mgoingdownthedrain /_

"_... Satisfy me, Soa."_

**-End-**

Man, I edited this SO MUCH, and I still feel like something's wrong with it. xD Maybe it's because I'm terrible at action scenes:/ Maybeso. But I'm happier with this chapter. I got to play around with Kanzas' personality a bit more. I'm trying to build onto what the game created, since LoD doesn't go into too much detail about the original Dragoons. D: I'mdoingmybest,though. And, thank you to those who reviewed! 

Constructive criticism is love, so gimme. xD


	3. Hybrid Theory

Notes: Oh snap, an update:0 This was a hard chapter to write… maybe because of where I left off. xD I always leave off at dumb places. The chapter didn't even turn out like I'd wanted it to, but whatever. Here's to a better chapter next time?

Also, I KNOW that Magrad appeared to have not been a building at all in the game. I think it could've been during the Dragon Campaign, but was destroyed during a Wingly-raid or something.

I'm basically continuing to build on what the game created. Whether or not my interpretation is accurate I don't know. I'm using the impressions I got from playing the game and turning them into something bigger. This chapter focuses a bit more on the war itself, and I'm trying to develop Damia's character some more, since LoD didn't really do much of that for her in the first place. D:

Also, thanks for the reviews, guys! I'm glad you're enjoying it. :D

And on that note, let the show begin!

**-Sugar in my System-**

**-Hybrid Theory- **

_(A small fort, covered in snow and ice, surrounded by a white abyss. Small stone steps, buried in snow year-round, led down an icy cliff to the small establishment. Bricks had become slightly eroded over time, due to the merciless weather. Carvings and statues of Dragons adorned the walls and doors. _

_Fort Magrad, which was sometimes referred to as the headquarters of Human liberation.)_

Syuveil sniffled as another snow flurry started up, his poor health getting the best of him. Hiding his red nose inside the high collar of his long, thick coat, he continued towards the edge of the cliff, the others not too far behind.

Damia always enjoyed coming to Fort Magrad- the scenery was so beautiful. Nobody else seemed to notice this, however. Nowadays, everything was about war and death. Even Shirley, who was quite the optimist, didn't appear to notice the lovely blanket of untouched snow shimmering in the small bits of sunlight that poked through the clouds.

Every now and then, one of the Dragoon's stares would wander to the scenery and then turn away.

Perhaps it was painful, to see these beautiful things that could so easily be destroyed by Winglies. Perhaps it hurt to look at things you might never see again, after the final battle. Perhaps the little things that made life exciting at one point just didn't matter anymore.

These little details were simply dismissed by the other Dragoons. They walked down the stairs in the cliff side, Damia following. Not saying a word.

x

The inside of the building that was Fort Magrad was simple. Torches lined the walls, with a small fireplace on one of the walls. There were some chairs around a small, rectangular table in the center. Diaz was waiting for them, sitting in one of the chairs. He saw them, and motioned for them to sit down. Each of the Dragoons took their seats.

Diaz cleared his throat and began the meeting.

"Dragoons, as you may have noticed, Vellweb has been running short on supplies, due to the Winglies occupying the route to Furni. It's time we take action."

"So, basically we're going to take back the trade route?" Zieg asked.

"Exactly. This is a minor problem, so I'll only be sending three of you. I feel you'll be able to handle it. I'll be sending Rose, Belzac, and Zieg."

The three nodded in approval, without saying anything.

"As for the rest of you…" Diaz turned his attention to the other Dragoons. "I have a special mission for you. There is a small Wingly fort out in the Death Frontier. It is still under construction, but I fear they're trying to get closer to Ulara. After all, they _have_ been helping us.

"I've received word from a few sources that there is a floating object in the eastern part of the Death Frontier. I believe that is a sign of a new city slowly being built. So far, no attacks have been made, but I'd rather not take chances. You need to get rid of it, as soon as possible."

Diaz rose from his seat, examining his seven troops. "You will leave tomorrow morning. Be sure to take all the equipment you think you'll need. Do we have any questions?" The room remained silent. "You are excused."

x

"… It's awfully close to Mayfil… hm…"

Syuveil sat at a wooden desk in his tower, examining maps of the Death Frontier, planning the routes to take and locating a general area that the floating object could be in.

_(Mayfil, Death City of the Winglies, lies in the northeast area of the Death Frontier. As with other Wingly cities, it draws energy from the life around it. Despite the lack of life in the Death Frontier, Mayfil is a city with great magical strength, second in power only to Aglis. The magic of the Death City is strong enough to control souls, and is said to be the magic of Hell itself.)_

Syuveil always did his research before going out on these kinds of missions. He believed that knowing the destination was just as important as getting there. Sighing, he took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes with the palm of his hand. He put his glasses back on and looked out the window of his tower. The sun had already set, and stars filled the sky, shining brightly.

Syuveil closed his books and folded up his maps, putting the folded papers in a worn traveling sack before blowing out the candle on his desk and heading to bed.

x

The next day was dry, chilly, and windy. Not exactly the best of traveling conditions, but better than the rainy days. Damia woke up early, as she always did. The wind played with the curtains of her tower's window, and the sun reflected off the water, lighting the room a little bit. The young Dragoon pulled the old blanket off of her body and swung her legs over the side of the bed, her small feet in the water on her floor. The cool liquid went up to her ankles.

The room was calming, thanks to the water. Pots and vases, both large and small, were lined against the walls, mostly around the door, were filled with water, some filled with small flowers. The room reminded her of her home; made her forget about the troubles of the world. It was a sanctuary.

Damia stood up and walked over to the stone fountain in the middle of her room, splashing water onto her face. Small strands of wet sea green hair stuck to the side of her face and her forehead. She brushed them away, and then tied her hair back in a loose ponytail. The scales on her face and ears were now revealed, and sparkled slightly in the sunlight. She saw her reflection in the fountain, and frowned upon it. Tired eyes, pale skin, and those scales… Damia bit her bottom lip in frustration, and then splashed the fountain's water with her hand, destroying the reflection.

_(To be a hybrid was to be a cursed child. Humans and Mermaids were never meant to reproduce. Humans stayed with Humans, and Mermaids with Mermaids. That was the way it was supposed to be._

_But she defied that unwritten law, and that brought the Curse upon her. Shunned by society, never expected to amount to much. Neither Human, nor Mermaid, she was never fully accepted. She lacked the gorgeous fins of the Mermaids, and frightened the Humans with her scales and the small gills on the sides of her neck. _

_The Mermaids had always kept to themselves, never really associating with the other species. And, in this time of war, they preferred to not take sides. She was the one who had changed everything for the Mermaids. Not only was she a hybrid, but she but she was accepted by the Blue Sea Dragoon spirit, giving the Winglies the impression that the Mermaids were siding with Diaz and his cause. _

_And because of that assumption, the Winglies attacked the Mermaids, forcing many of them into slavery. Some escaped, but the Mermaid population was decimated. _

_For Winglies, there was no such thing as neutrality. _

"_Kill or be killed" was their law._

_There was no alternative.)_

**-End-**

Gosh, this took forever. I wanted this up by the end of 06, but… that didn't happen. I'm horrible at meeting my own deadlines. I'm such a lame-o. ;-; But oh well. At least you get an update, right?

… Riiiiiiiight? D:


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